Corn Pone with Swiss Chard & Tomatoes
Simple corn pone, adapted from the recipe in Cross Creek Cookery by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, makes a delicious dish served with sauteed Swiss chard, tomatoes and a little cheddar.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Keyword: buttermilk, corn bread, corn pone, cornmeal, cross creek, marjorie kinnan rawlings
Servings: 4
Author: Nicole Coudal, My Delicious Blog
Corn Pone
- 1 cup cornmeal (I used white, fine ground, but try any kind you have)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
- 2 Tb. vegetable shortening, melted (I used Crisco, as MKR recommends)
- 1 Tb. bacon grease (Or coconut or olive oil, but bacon flavors best!)
Swiss Chard/Topping
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, large stems removed, leaves chopped
- 1 Tb. olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
- 3-4 Tb. cheddar cheese, shredded
Add dry ingredients for corn pone to a mixing bowl; whisk to combine.
Add 2 Tb. Crisco to a small (microwavable) bowl and microwave about 1 minute to melt; set aside.
Spoon bacon grease (or other preferred fat) into a seasoned 8" cast iron pan (or nonstick pan) and bring to high heat on the stovetop.
As pan heats, add buttermilk to dry mixture, stir to combine, then add melted Crisco and stir until incorporated (it will be thick).
Spoon corn mixture into the hot pan, pushing the batter toward the edges, but not letting it touch the edges. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 minutes, until bottom is nicely browned (check periodically to ensure it's not burning - if so, reduce heat).
While pone cooks, heat a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. When garlic is brown, remove from pan. Add chard to pan and saute about 1 minute, mixing to combine with the garlicky oil; reduce heat to medium/low and cook another 1-2 minutes until wilted. Turn off heat and let sit until pone is ready.
Flip the pone carefully with a spatula then cook another 3-4 minutes (check periodically to ensure it's not burning). When nicely browned, turn off heat and transfer to a cutting board.
Cut pone into 4 wedges; top with chard, tomatoes and cheese, and serve immediately (corn pone is best served hot and crispy!).